Banana Bread Squares

This recipe has been in our family since my parents were married (over 30 years!). It's called Sandy's Kona Banana Bread (Sandy was a high school friend of my mom's) and it's called Kona bread because the original recipe had macadamia nuts in it, however, growing up we never added them in.

Our entire family loves this bread! I can't make it fast enough...it gets gobbled up, practically, as soon as I take it out of the oven. If you have ripe bananas that need to be used up, give this recipe a try!

• 1/2 cup shortening*
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 3/4 cup mashed ripe bananas
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/4 cups flour
• 1/2 cup macadamia nuts (optional)
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• Cream shortening and sugar until light. Add eggs one at a time, beating well in between each egg. Add banana and vanilla and mix well. Add flour, baking soda, salt and nuts to banana mixture and mix until blended well.
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• Pour batter into 9x9x2 inch pan (sprayed with non-stick spray) and bake in 350 degree oven for 30-35 minutes. Cool and cut into squares. 
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• If baking in a 9x5x3 inch loaf pan, bake for 1 hour or until toothpick comes out of center clean. Cool and cut into slices.
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• * I don't always have shortening on hand, so butter is a good alternative.